Grounding ultra high density chip carrier assemblies typically requires a wire bond from a conductive runner active as ground on a substrate to a metallized polyimide film die pad. Wire bonding in chip carrier assemblies is disadvantageous due to the larger die pad size required to bond the wire, larger production and material costs, and lower current carrying capacities of typical bond wires such as a gold bond wire.
Eliminating wire bonding to metallized polyimide film die pads reduces several undesirable effects. First, wire bonding requires a larger die pad to allow a wire bonder to place a wire next to the die on the metallized polyimide film die pad. Further, polyimide film (as opposed to metallized alumina) produces poor wire bonds due to its compliant nature. Additionally, eliminating wire bonds permits the elimination of the metal layer on the polyimide die pad, since no wire bonding to the die pad is necessary. Wire bonding requires the operator to change the wire bonder parameters, such as, from a ceramic chip carrier profile to a polyimide film profile in order to make a reliable bond. Grounding a high power integrated circuit device with a wire bond from a polyimide film die pad to a conductive runner is an ineffective method of semiconductor grounding due to the insufficient current carrying capacity of typical bond wires. Disposing of the grounded wire bond by means of the present invention reduces production costs and production time, while increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the chip carrier assembly.